Apparatus for the detection of minute current or voltage changes



Aug. 3, 1937. G. BUCKY 0885584 APPARATUS FOR THE DETECTIO 0F MINUTE `CURRENT OR` VOLTAGE CHANGES Filed Oct, 24, 1955 WITNESS A xNVEN-ro @usual/Bucky Bv jg 9 I Phd/M M ATTORNEYS j sr APPARATUS 2,088,584 -FOR THE DETECTION GF v lmUTE CURRENT B VLTAGE CHANGES i Gustav Bucky, New York, N. Y., assigner to Roeiinag Research Corporation, New E'orlr,A

N. Y., a corporation of New York 11 Claims. The invention relates to 'an apparatus for measuring minute electric currents 'or-'voltages and is especially adapted for lapparatuslfor measuring the qualities and quantities oi radiant energies by means of ionization chambers, photoelectric cells, and similar appliances.

An object of the invention is to provide an.

apparatus of extreme sensitiveness, i. e. for 'obtaining an acute sensitivity of measurement not of my novel apparatus is due primarily'to the use of a special type and character of glass inthe amplifying tubes. which glass, in my apparatus, serves as a unit ofl 'extremely high resistance.

tubes are arranged in a bridge coupling according to known principles, the desired measurement being obtained either by the use ot an instrument having a xed zero point, by regulating or Vtuljusting the bridge resistances, or directly on a galvanometer included in the bridge circuit. A vfeature of my novel apparatus is its great facility of handling. Thesimplieity 'of its adjustment for obtainingaccurate measurements is' such that its handling by a layman can give him the accuracy of results obtainable only by a physicist with other instruments of equal sensi-- tiveness and by the use of stop-watches, check tests and similar complicating instrumentalities 3 and devices. With my novel apparatus, a resultant reading, `by mere visual observation, isobtained in as many minutes as hours were neces- `sary for an accurate determination with prior systems. Y

may be used with a luminous indicating device such as is shown and described in my applicainstruments executed and iiled concurrently 40 1,449,600, issued Marsh s, 1934, 1n which is em- V ployed a luminous indicator becoming visible only when predetermined values of the magnitudes intended to be measured, are reached. 1

A disadvantage of the prior art apparatus of this kindhas been the necessity of usingr'esistances of high ohmage in the current path oi the testing device, in which path the grid of one' their terminals and of their connecting wires @5 When such apparatus was used for measurements obtainable by any prior system. Such sensitivity For the attainment of such object,`two amplifier My novel apparatus of the present invention with the instant application, nowPatent No.'

application october 24, 193s, serial No. 694,971

y In Germany October 25, 1932 (ci. 25o-41) of X-rays, it was also necessary to provide therefor a casing of leadto shield the apparatus, so f that the air within the apparatus may not be 4ionized so as to result-in a falsication of readings` or measurement results.v This disadvantage was 5 particularly evident with the prior art type'oi. apparatus in which theampliiler, the galvanometer, and the vcoupling elements Vwere all housed in a single casing, the connections with the ionization chamber having been accomplished by meansv 10 of long conduits. Y

In accordance with the present invention, these Y disadvantagesare overcome bythe separationof those portions of the apparatus which require `complete insulation from thoseportions which 15 require less perfect'insulation. In accordance with the invention, therefore, one or' the-amplier tubes, i. e. that which is exposedto the effects of the ionization chamber, is separated from the casing containing the vsecond. ampliiier tube, the' gu amplifying coupling, the galvanometer, and in some instances, the device for connecting the apparatus to the powercircuit. A more particular, object of the invention is the beenseparated from the remaining portions of the apparatus with a suitable and specially built glass casing serving as a resistance of very high ohmage, the connections from such amplifier tube "to the rest of the apparatus beingvconned within a cable suitably shielded against high irequency. A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of such aml plifying tube, as hereinafter more fully described. o

4In the drawing, I have illustrated schemati- 35 cally a specific embodiment of my inventionin its application toan X-ry dosage meter, al-

tion entitled Luminousindicators for measuring Q though it is to be( understood that this applica? tion o! my novel 'p apparatus is shown by way of illustration rather than by` way of limitation. 40 Y 'The particular setg-up of the apparatus ior use as an X-ray dagemeter includesmy novel amplinery unit, such amplifier unit, however, being -capable of -iorming an element in any system designed f or the measurement of small electric cur 5 rents` or voltages in any of a large numberoi l technical or physical determinations.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention,

I utilize two ampliier tubes included in a Wheat-.l I Stonebridge arrangement which comprises such ampliiier tubes and two resistances. In the sys-1 I tem -is included also a potentiometer `from which various constant voltages may be obtained. In the drawing, Fig. 1 a'plan view 'of theapprovision ofy theamplier tube which has thus 25 I params, the housing being shown m settima` and sc the housed apparatus schematically. Fig. 2

ization chamber being shown in plan. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a modification of a part of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a modified-circuit arrangement.

In Fig. 1, within a casing I is mounted an open face galvanometer 2 lying in the connection between two Adiagonal points of the Wheatstone bridge, which latter comprises two amplifier tubes 3 and 4 and two resistances 5 and 6. Inthe'connection between the other two diagonal points of the bridge lies-the source of current 1, the current being delivered from a tube potentiometer, serving as a voltage stabilizer, connected tothe main circuit of approximately 300 volt potential by contacts 8 and 9. Secured to the wall of the metallic casing I is the grounded switch lever or contactor III which makes possible the obtaining of a plurality oi voltages from the potentiometer, for instance, 225, 150, or 75 volts, depending upon which of the various voltage points of the potentiometer is engaged by the lever Ill. The use of the tube potentiometer, as

a source of voltage, eliminates .the uctuationsexisting in the primary voltage derived from the main power lines. 'I'he cathodes II of the amplier tubes are connected through contacts I2 to the main power. lines. The tubes are provided with space-charge-eect grids I3 which, through a regulatableV resistance I4,.are connected to the positive terminal of the Wheatstone bridge. The regulating electrode I5 of the amplifier tube 3, i. e. that 4within the casing I, receives its potential through a variable resistance I6. The amplier tube 4, outside oi.' the casing I, is connected by means of a cable I1, insulated against high frequency, with the amplifying unit in casing I. The amplifier tube 4 is housed in a chamber I8 at one end of the cable I1, the other end of said cable being secured within a copper ments are shown in enlarged detail in Fig. 2. The tube constructed of a suitable, special, type of glass,-

4 is provided with an elongated neck I9,

ofa high resistance character (of the order of about 10+12-10+14 ohm). Glass of this character is obtainable on the market in response to a call for glass of maximum high resistance character. Its composition and methods of production are well-known lto the art which manufactures such glass. Such glass has heretofore been used where insulation was the only object but in the present caseas will be hereinafter explained it is employed for this purpose in one part of the structure while in another part it serves as a high resistance. Through the neck I9 runs a connection 20 from the regulatingelectrode 2| of the amplifier tube to a plug 22 led through the end of the'neck I9. The plug 22 is provided, on its end exteriorly of the neck I9, with a globular projection 31. The neck I9 is insulated from the chamber I8 by a gas-tight amber ring 23. An ionization chamber 25, to which is secured an electrode 24, and provided with a spring 26 for contact with the projection 31, comprises a separate unit which may be brought `into engagement with the end of the neck I9 by interengagement of its lead casing 21 with the lead casing 21 surrounding the outer end of the chamber I8. The chamber I8 may be made of a thin and is an enlarged section of the amplifying tube, the ionlight weight metal (such as chromium) as.

it is amply protected by the lead casing 21. The lead casing 21 protects the end of the chamber I8 from the-effects of any X-rays that may posf sibly reach such end of the chamber. In order to secure a more perfect vinsulation of the cham-- ber I8, the neck I9 thereof may be provided with a second amber ring 23', also secured in air-tight position on such neck. This second amber ring serves at the same time to arrest the seepage along the glass of' any moisture that may deposit on the surface of the glass neck I9.

In the use of my apparatus in connection with an X-ray dosage meter, the current potential in the ionization chamber, i. e. the X-ray intensity,

may be read on the potentiometer resistance y I6, the scale of which is suitably calibrated when the galvanometer 2 is brought to its zero position, so that the current conditions in the amplifier tube 3 conform to those in the amplifier tube 4.

The galvanometer may also be used as adeplug 22 and at the other end to the wall of the casing I8. v

From a source of power 40 (Fig. 1) current is derived from the contacts I2 to heat the iilaments II of the tubes 3 and 4. From the contact 9 a potential is derived for the grid I5 of tube 3, which potential may be regulated by the resistance I6. Potentials for the plates of the tubes 3 and 4 are derived over the resistance 5 and 6, respectively. Potentials for the grid I3 are derived over the resistance ,I4 from point 1. It should be noted that the tubes 3 and 4 and the resistances 5 and 6 forrn, together, a Wheatstone bridge. The instrument 2 is used as the bridge galvanometer and points to zero when no radiation impinges upon the device which is sensitive to it. In the drawing an ionization chamber 25 sensitive to X-rays is shown as illustrative of a device sensitive to radiation. `An electrode 25 of the ionization chamber is connected to the grid 2| of tube 4 by means of spring 26, the globular projection 31, the plug 22, and the conductor 20. Whenever the electrode 25 of the ionization chamber is exposed to radiation a current passes not only to the grid 2| as described, but also through the resistance 28 to the casing I8 and produces a. potential drop in the resistance 28. The change in potential in the grid 2I upsets the balance of the Wheatstone bridge, causing a defiection of the galvanometer 2. This galvanometer may either be read directly or, whenv using a zero method, may be compensated by ad-` justing the resistance I6, which in this event is calibrated.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a modified form of the neck-like extension of the amplifier tube 4. In this modification, the tube neck I 9 is mounted on a multi-armed glass support 33, the arms of which are propped, by means of soldered platinum wires, against the plug 22 and against the wall of the chamber I8. For arresting the seepage of any moisture upon the suriace of the tube neck I9, three amber rings 23 are secured in .air-tight position on such neck.

Instead of thev ordinary amplifier tube, there i may be used a diierential instrument 30, which,

as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4, is connected Vto the coil 29 on the diagonal points oi.' the bridge 3, t, 5, 6, the other coil 3| lying in the supply lead l wires of the bridge. f The coil 29 in this instance serves as a normal galvanometer coil, the coil 3i serving as a corrective means for Athe zero point, the zero point possibly varying by reason of the deterioration .of the heat cathodes of theamplifying tubes or fromthe effects of the "valve set to the accurate zero point oi. the galvanom- Y eter. After removing the shunt 32, a counterelectromotive force `(plus-minus), which is also taken from the tube potentiometer, is connected to the coil 3i until the zero point on the galvanometer is again reached. The galvanometer is now ready for ionization measurement, the measured values being readily readable on the scale of the galvanometer without adjustment of the resistance it. For calibration purposes, the galvanometer scale may be movable, such movable scale being provided with a knob or similar device,`so that the movable scale is capable of regulation with respect to the permanent zero point.

The apparatus of my invention makes possible the detection of extremely minute current orvoltage changes and may therefore be utilized in lnnumerable cases where accurate technical or physical determinations of current or voltage values are to be made. Besides its great practiconnection with which use I have particularly described my invention, my apparatusv may be used to advantage for the measurement of rays of all kinds, from heat rays to gamma rays. It may device, said amplifying tube having a control electrode, an element sensitive to radiation to which it is to be exposed' located at a distance from said electrode, a conductor connecting said electrode with said element, and an insulating. neck constructed of glass of extremely high resistance character, for instance, of the order of approximately l0+12 to 10+14 ohms, and a resistance of vhigh ohmage mounted in' parallel relation to said amplier tube neck, .whereby the indicator of said galvanometer is steadied by the elimination,

by said resistance, of auch capacitances, and their effects as would cause'undesirable oscillations, and therefore deiiections, of said galvanometer indicator. Y

75. 2.`In an apparatus for measuring radiant enercability for the measurement of X-ray dosages, in

also be used in the measurement of resistances, y

gies, a radiation-responsiveI device, a, galvanometer for indicating the response of said device,

and an amplifying tube associated with said responsive device, said amplifying tube having a `control electrode, an element sensitive to radiation to which it is to be exposed located at a distance from said electrode, a conductor connecting said electrode with said element, and an insulating neck` constructed of glass of extremely high resistance character, for instance, of the order of approximately 10+ to 10+14-ohms, and a resistance of high ohmage in the form of a glass rod constituted of the saine character of glass as the .neck of the amplifier tube mounted in parallel relation to said amplier tube neck, whereby the indicator of said galvanometer is steadied by the elimination, byv said4 resistance, of such capacitances and their effects as would cause undesirable oscillations and therefore deflections, of said galvanometer indicator.

gies, aradiation-responsive device, a galvanoxneter for indicating the response of said device, and an amplifying tube associated with said responsive device, said amplifying tube having a control electrode, an element sensitive to radiation to which it is to be exposed located at a distance from said electrode, a conductor connecting said electrode with said element, and an insulating neck of extremely high resistance character, a resistance of high ohmage mounted in parallel arrangement to said amplifying tube neck and a metal casing surrounding the whole of said amplifying tube; said elongated neck and said resistance of high ohmage, andan air-tight seal between the casing and said radiation-responsive device. Y drin a device as described in claim 3 in whic the outer end of the chamber formed by the metal casing is provided with an air-tight seal of insulating material through which the neck and the resistance of high ohmage project.

Rwhich the end, at least, of the casing furthest from the amplifying tube, as Well as the seal with the radiation-responsive device, are enveloped by lead to protect that section of the device Within the casing from the effects of radiant energy.

7. In an apparatus for measuring radiant energies, a radiation-responsive device, a galvanoneter for indicating the response of said device, an amplifying tube connected between said responsive device and said galvanometer and having an anode, 'a cathode, and at least one control electrode, an element sensitive to. radiation to which it is to be exposed located at a distance from said electrode, -a conductor connecting said electrode-` with 'said element, and an insulating glass neck of extremely high resistance for said amplifying tube, and a resistance of high ohmage mounted n in parallel relation'to` said amplifying tube neck 20 3. In an apparatus for measuring radiant enera,oss,ss4

chasing the whole of said control circuit and the second amplifier tube. i

11. Apparatus as described in claim 9 in which the galvanometer control circuit includes a. second amplifier tube and a voltage-stabilizing device, and a metal shield surrounding the whole of said galvanometer control circuit, second amplier tube, and voltage stabilizing device.

' GUSTAV BUCKY; 

